I would like to think and hope that when my students walked into my Italian cookery class at The Bay Tree Cottage, they walked into little Italy! Vino was flowing, candles were lit lighting up my vine ripened tomato’s, fragrant basil and cloves of delicious pink plump garlic. My class was Antipasti, the Italian way, but really it was simple food that I cook at home for my family. There is nothing better than a fresh pesto made with basil and olives, roasted peppers or sun dried tomato’s. The combinations are simply endless and the flavours are incredible.

        

For this first class, I made two types of pesto. Basil and olive and a deep sun dried tomato pesto. A pesto is wonderful stirred through pasta, spooned over grilled chicken, served with steak or used in my bruschetta topping. For the bruschetta I used fabulous peppers, red onion, olives, tomato’s and cucumbers, small chunks stirred with pesto and spooned over hot bread or mini toasts. So simple.

Mozzarella stack………

Olive and basil pesto and sun dried tomato pesto layered in my mozzarella stack. This is my little invention. I adore mozzarella just as it is. I like to serve mozzarella sliced with a little balsamic, but layered with pesto it is incredible and looks beautiful too. Sliced along with some cured meat, salami, mortadella, copa or parma ham.

Fresh and fabulous………
Bruschetta topping on mini toasts

Insalata tre colore. A simple salad with the Italian flag colours. Very patriotic. Sliced beef tomato, sliced mozzarella and torn apart avocado, dressed with extra virgin olive oil and little salt and balsamic. I also made a Caponata dip using beautiful purple aubergines and roasted peppers. Delicious and very punchy. All the recipes mentioned are on my blog so have a look and attempt something fresh this weekend.

I had a wonderful evening teaching, cooking and eating. I am looking forward to my next course at the Bay Tree Cottage which is Pasta and Gnocchi making, will be fun!!

Insalata tre colore….

Carmela x